


The Heart Of A Broken Love

by KassandraScarlett



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 11:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15662619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KassandraScarlett/pseuds/KassandraScarlett
Summary: Eleanor hasn't seen Louis, except on the news, for almost a year. But Jay's gone and Louis might not need her if he's got his family and his band-mates and his new-born son, butsheneeds to seehim.





	The Heart Of A Broken Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is obviously not what happened in real life, but I wanted to imagine how Elounor might have gotten back together. This is what came out of it.  
> Not for Eleanor-haters. Don't like, don't read.

  She stopped a short distance away from the lone figure, standing in front of the freshly filled grave. Even though she couldn't see his face, Eleanor recognised Louis' familiar posture, the straight back, the defensively set shoulders.

  She'd come to pay her respects to Johannah, but now, she wasn't sure how welcome she was. After all, they hadn't exactly talked much after she broke up with Louis. But she knew how close he'd been with his mother and more importantly, she knew him. She knew he'd find a way to blame himself for this and she couldn't allow that. Not when she was still in... Not when she still _cared_ for him.

  She took a step forward. The snap of a twig made Louis stiffen as he turned to see the intruder. Eleanor ignored his surprise and walked past him to the headstone. Kneeling, she placed the white lilies at the foot.

  ' _I'm sorry_ ,' she thought, remembering how heartbroken Jay had been when they'd told her of the split. ' _You asked me not to hurt him, and that's exactly what I did. I'm sorry_.'

  Hoping beyond hope that she'd been heard, Eleanor stood up and finally faced Louis. He was staring at her, something like incomprehension colouring his features. There was a blankness in his gaze that scared her. If she didn't know for sure he was grieving, she'd have thought he didn't recognize her.

  "I'm sorry I missed the funeral," she says softly, coming to a stand in front of him. "I didn't think you'd still be here."

  He continued to look at her with that wide-eyed stare and she realized he was still in shock, still processing the events of the last week.

  "Come on," she decided, taking hold of his hand.

  Matching her steps, he let her pull him along and soon they were walking along the afternoon streets of Doncaster. It took them less time than she'd thought to reach Louis' house. He'd gained enough lucidity to open the door and let them in, but he was still completely silent and she didn't try to converse either.

  Once they were inside, Eleanor sat on the couch and watched as he made quick work of removing his tie and blazer, before joining her. Was it a fluke that he was close enough for her to feel the heat from his person? Trying to ignore the pounding of her heart at the sight he made, stoic and brooding in the black shirt that hid the tautness of his muscled torso, she waited for him to speak.

  He did.

  "What're you doing here?" His voice was hoarse from disuse, nothing like the sweet raspy sound she was familiar with.

  "I just...," she struggled to find an explanation. "I wanted to see her. And you."

  There was a pause, awkward and unsure. He couldn't understand why she'd want to see him, she thought. After all, she was the one who'd given up on them, finally out of the will to deal with the abuse from his fans. She was the one who'd left him with a useless apology. She was the sole reason for every love song he'd written on their last album.

  "How're the twins?"

  "Lottie's taking care of them, so is Daniel. They're at the old house."

  "And what about-" she cleared her throat, trying to shove down the pain and unjustified betrayal she'd felt when she'd first heard the news. "What about Freddie?"

  Louis tensed and her eyes reluctantly tracked the movement of his shoulders. "He's with Brianna for now. I couldn't... I didn't want to risk screwing up when I wouldn't be able to focus on him."

  Eleanor nodded and there was another short silence. She watched him, his blue eyes shining wet, the corners of his mouth trembling. He stared back at her, wide-eyed and confused still, and she wondered what he saw.

  "El- Eleanor?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Can I- will you...?"

  She could see him struggling with his words, trying to find the right way to ask. She didn't let him. Gently, telling herself this was purely for comfort and not also because she wanted him closer, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, so his head was resting on her shoulder. Like a dam breaking, all the tension left his body and he began sobbing, his entire frame shaking under the force of his grief.

  "She's gone," he whimpered, clutching at her waist.

  "I know," she hummed into his hair.

  "Why is she gone? She wasn't supposed to go. What did I do, why...?"

  "It's not your fault," Eleanor hissed, her own voice wavering. "You had nothing to do with that. I know you think everything in the world is your responsibility, Lou, but this wasn't in your hands."

  Louis didn't answer and she wasn't sure if he believed her, but they stayed wrapped around each other. Louis' fingertips were digging painfully into her hips, and it was probably going to bruise later, but she understood his need to hold her so tightly; he felt lost, unmoored, and he needed something to ground him, keep him anchored to himself. If that something was Eleanor, she'd be damned to hell before moving away from him.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr: bad-days-and-beautiful-nights


End file.
